Self-Locking Gearbox Drive Unit for Autonomous Working Device Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work devices, particularly for commercial applications, face challenges in achieving increased operational safety while minimizing size and weight, due to the space requirements for basic components like energy storage, electronics, and sensors, which often necessitate larger tool sizes or limited installation areas.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a self-locking gear mechanism in the drive unit, comprising a first toothed element with a deformable toothing and a second toothed element, allows for a compact design by ensuring the drive wheel stops immediately upon motor deactivation, eliminating the need for a separate emergency brake and reducing the overall size and weight of the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate emergency brake is installed to ensure operational safety, then the safety performance is improved, but the device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emergency braking function with the existing self-locking gear mechanism in the drive unit. The self-locking gear inherently prevents backward motion of the drive wheel, eliminating the need for a separate emergency brake system while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the emergency braking function from being a separate component and integrates it into the drive unit's self-locking gear mechanism, thereby removing the need for additional safety components that would increase weight and size.
2Reliability
If a separate emergency brake is installed to ensure operational safety, then the safety performance is improved, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emergency braking function with the existing self-locking gear mechanism in the drive unit. The self-locking gear inherently prevents backward motion of the drive wheel, eliminating the need for a separate emergency brake system while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-locking gear mechanism serves dual purposes: it acts as both the drive transmission component and the emergency braking system, providing multi-functionality that reduces overall device volume by eliminating redundant components.
3Device complexity
If the drive wheel continues to move after motor deactivation, then the device simplicity is improved, but the operational safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The self-locking gear mechanism automatically prevents backward motion of the drive wheel when the motor deactivates, providing self-service emergency braking without requiring additional control systems or complex mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the inherent properties of the self-locking gear.
4Reliability
If additional safety components are added to prevent uncontrolled movement, then the operational safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the emergency braking function with the existing self-locking gear mechanism in the drive unit. The self-locking gear inherently prevents backward motion of the drive wheel, eliminating the need for a separate emergency brake system while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-locking gear mechanism automatically prevents backward motion of the drive wheel when the motor deactivates, providing self-service emergency braking without requiring additional control systems or complex mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the inherent properties of the self-locking gear.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The self-locking gear mechanism effectively prevents further movement when the motor is switched off, enhancing operational safety and reducing the device's size and weight by eliminating the need for a separate emergency brake, thus optimizing space utilization.
Implementation Method 1
The first toothed element is elastically deformable, in particular radially elastically deformable
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a working device (1) comprising at least one housing (2), at least one drive unit (3) and at least one control device, wherein the drive unit (3) comprises at least one motor (4) and at least one drive wheel (5), wherein the working device (1) is designed and configured to move autonomously in a processing environment (6).An autonomous work device (1), in particular a cleaning device, in which operational safety is increased, is realized by the fact that the drive unit (3) has at least one self-locking gearbox (8), that the gearbox (8) has at least one first tooth element (11) with a first toothing (12) and at least one second tooth element (14) with a second toothing (15), that the first tooth element (11) is arranged inside the second tooth element (14), that the first toothing (12) is at least partially engaged with the second toothing (15), and that the drive wheel (5) can be driven by the motor (4) via the gearbox (8).